


A New Leaf

by BlushingDarling



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-15
Updated: 2012-04-16
Packaged: 2017-11-03 17:15:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/383915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlushingDarling/pseuds/BlushingDarling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Hermione Granger wanted after the War was to lead an ordinary life, but when a chance visit from a little cherub upsets the routine she has worked so hard to maintain, Hermione finds herself falling hard and fast for the person she least expected- and worse yet, there's absolutely nothing she can do about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ningloreth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ningloreth/gifts).



_Books._

 

If there was one thing of which Hermione Granger was certain, it was that books had remained the only constant in her life. Her passion for reading and knowledge had proved an asset numerous times throughout her career at Hogwarts- it had saved her and her two friends from Devil’s Snare in the quest for the Philospher’s Stone, allowed her to formulate Polyjuice potion in her second year despite its complexity and had assisted in the unravelling of the mystery of the Deathly Hallows- amongst other things, of course.

It was this same passion that led Hermione to venture into her current means of business. It had seemed an obvious choice after the war ended, a sensible way to attempt to live an ordinary life- they had certainly earned it, after all. And so, while Harry and Ron chose to spend their days weaving through the red tape continuously strung by magical politicians- they were no different from Muggle politicians, after all- Hermione had opened her own book store in the heart of London.

_A New Leaf_.

Hermione’s decision was not unaccompanied by criticisms, which was only expected for a figure so completely woven into modern Wizarding history. Whispers flittered from ear to ear about how mundane her chosen career path was. The harsh comments had only served to fuel her desire to succeed and silence her critics. Competitiveness and determination had always been inherent in her nature, and had allowed her to focus all her energy into making her childhood dream a reality. Resulting in many of the Wizarding community’s grudging admiration, _A New Leaf_ was open to the public a mere eighteen months after the War’s conclusion. And since Hermione was of the attitude that nothing should be done in half measures, the store was a sight to be seen.

Its exterior was charmingly deceptive, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the facades of the stores that lined the cobble stoned paths of Diagon Alley. A vintage style sign bore the store’s name in gold script, while the window display was always updated with the latest books and maintained in its ever immaculate condition. From the street, it looked as though the interior would be incredibly cramped. However, as was the case with Diagon Alley, one had to enter to fully appreciate its magic.

Every wall of the store’s interior was lined with books of every conceivable nature, from the latest Muggle best sellers to well loved first print editions. The high windows and ceilings allowed the warm rays of the sun to paint the interior with a golden hue whenever it chose to present itself. More often than not, lanterns resting on the odd shelf and suspended from the ceiling provided not only a source of light, but an atmosphere of warmth. A delicate stair case led to a slightly smaller second storey which boasted a sitting area complete with a small coffee table that held the latest edition of most every magazine possible, allowing customers the opportunity to simply relax if they so chose. Yet, with all it offered, _A New Leaf_ continued to grow, which led Harry to comment- much to Ginny’s dismay- that the leaf would soon be sprouting into a tree if Hermione wasn’t careful.

The newest addition to _A New Leaf_ was a spark of Ginny’s genius. Since she now spent majority of her time chasing after her two sons James and Albus, inhibited by her rapidly growing belly, she had suggested an area dedicated to the entertainment of children. The fiery redhead had reasoned that it would allow their parents more time to browse, escaping from the cries of hunger or tiredness or boredom.

And it was in that section that Hermione first met her little visitor. 


	2. Chapter 2

_Illusions_.

There was no question in Draco Malfoy’s mind that his life had been full of them. From the very moment he’d been born, or perhaps even before then, the family name had been established upon illusions of wealth and grandeur, with no real substantial support. Draco had of course been provided with the best of everything a young boy could hope for- toys, racing brooms, and the latest gadgets of both the Wizarding and Muggle kinds. Lucius had even appointed nannies and butlers to the household with the sole purpose of catering to young Master Malfoy’s every whim.  

And as Draco progressed through his childhood, more illusions presented themselves. He was always expected to behave with the utmost poise and respect when his father’s high positioned friends visited Malfoy Manor, and Draco came to pride himself on the fact that he had succeeded in playing the part of a happy, well adjusted child. However, the one thing he had always yearned for- the one thing that should never be denied to a child- had been denied to him.

The love of his parents.

There were no bed time stories to be read every evening and spontaneous displays of affection were next to non existent. By the time he grew into manhood, Draco had learned to expect very little from Lucius and Narcissa in terms of familial solidarity. More often than not, “business” kept Lucius away from home for extended periods of time. And in her husband’s absence, Narcissa busied herself with maintaining yet another illusion- that her family was perfectly happy and completely ordinary- though her efforts undoubtedly failed.

It had occurred to Draco in what was to be his sixth and likely, final, year at Hogwarts that his parents were lacking of any parental instinct. After all, what kind of a parent would not only place, but practically throw their child, into a potentially fatal situation when it was almost certain to have an unhappy ending. Draco had observed the appearance of Narcissa’s maternal instincts with his admittance to the Death Eaters, as he knew she had done everything within her power to save him. He supposed his father had heavily influenced her behaviour in prior years, as he distinctly remembered Lucius’ harsh tone instructing Narcissa not to coddle their son until he turned into a useless, weak child.

In the years following the War, Draco and Narcissa slowly built the solid relationship that should have been present from his birth. He remembered vividly that she had fallen to her knees at his feet and wept for all the years she had lost with him, apologized for not being strong enough to protect him as she wanted. Draco had murmured his acceptance as he gently stroked her platinum blonde hair, and in that moment, he swore to himself that when the day came that he had a family of his own, he would not repeat the same destructive actions of his father.

And that is why, when Scorpius decided to unexpectedly disappear during a shopping trip in London, Draco Malfoy was thrown into a full fledged panic.  


	3. Chapter 3

Draco prided himself on being able to maintain a cool head when placed on his pressure, but Scorpius’ disappearance was pushing him beyond his limit. His platinum blonde hair was plastered to his pale forehead by sweat as he raced from store to store in the street in an attempt to find the missing boy, all the while muttering under his breath about the misfortune he’d had to father a son who was just as stubborn and curious as his father.

Offering a prayer up to Merlin, Draco burst into the final store of the street- a store he would have recognised had he not been so intent on locating his missing son. All the words he had planned to scold Scorpius with promptly disappeared from his mind when his eyes came to rest on him in the arms of a very attractive brunette. Scorpius gazed at his father with sparkling silver eyes over the shoulder of his current carer, pressing his pudgy hands to his mouth in order to suppress the gurgling laughter building in his throat.

“Trouble,” Scorpius stated in a sing song voice.

The mystery woman raised a hand and patted him on the head reassuringly, “Don’t worry. I’m sure your dad’s very worried and will be looking for you.”

Draco audibly cleared his throat, causing her to turn. He felt his draw drop in what he was sure was a very unattractive fashion as he came face to face with Hermione Granger. As recognition dawned on her own face, she raised an eyebrow at him questioningly as the corners of her lips quirked upwards in a crooked smile.

“Does this little angel belong to you?” She asked, catching Scorpius’ round cheek between her fingers teasingly, causing him to giggle and bat her hand impatiently. “He decided to bless me with a visit this morning.”

 _The years have been kind to her_ , Draco thought. She had grown through the awkward, gawky phase during which he’d come to know her. Her once bushy hair had been tamed to fall in loose curls which framed her face, which was presently flushed a rather attractive shade of pink. The dash of freckles across her nose and the warm chocolate brown of her eyes were all familiar to Draco, whose gaze was then inexplicably drawn to her lips. Her lips had been slicked with a pale pink gloss, and looked remarkably plump and perfect for kissing- not that Draco would ever admit he’d pictured himself quite enjoying doing the latter.

“Daddy,” Scorpius squawked, interrupting Draco’s thoughts. When he began to struggle in Hermione’s arms, she simply laughed appreciatively and bent to set him gently on his feet. Draco rather thought he’d enjoy hearing the melodious sound again, enjoy it even better knowing he’d been the one to draw it from her. Shocked with the direction his thoughts were taking, Draco shook his head as if attempting to clear his head. He felt the impact of Scorpius smacking into his legs, and reached down absently to ruffle his son’s silken hair.

Hermione watched the exchange fondly, a small smile gracing her delicate features. She had never in a million years imagined the first time she saw Draco Malfoy following the War, he would have a child of his own. She’d never really thought he’d have it in him to be able to raise a child, but the way Scorpius looked up at his father with such adoration and admiration his eyes proved to Hermione that she had been wrong. As she studied Draco, it became clear he’d been subject to his own stressors as weariness shadowed his grey eyes which she had once been convinced were shrouded with arrogance. She vaguely remembered reading in the Prophet that his wife had requested a divorce following the financial troubles experienced by the many companies Draco headed, leaving their young son solely in his care. How Astoria Malfoy had managed to turn her back on such a beautiful child, Hermione would never understand.

“Thank you,” Draco said quietly, so quietly Hermione wondered if she’d imagined the words that had left his lips.

“Of course,” she replied easily. “He’s beautiful, Draco.”

“I never thought I’d hear you call me anything except my surname,” he blurted before his brain was able to filter his choice of words. He promptly flushed what Hermione thought was a rather becoming shade of scarlet.

She laughed, “No, I suppose I didn’t either. I think that risking your life repeatedly over an extended period of time and never knowing whether or not you’ll live through the ordeal will do that to a person. It just puts everything into perspective and you realize what really matters and what doesn’t.”

“Yes, I know what you mean. I’m sorry about you and Weasley, by the way.”

Hermione’s eyes widened in surprise that he’d bothered to read about her life, though she supposed that it would have been hard not to read about that particular event seeing as though the media had insisted that it be splashed across the pages of every tabloid magazine in existence. Rumors had flown for months after her relationship with Ron had ended, they had ranged from insulting to downright ridiculous. It had ended on mutual terms, when both had come to the realization that the spark simply did not exist between them, and they were simply far more compatible as friends.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” she replied. “Ron and I are still good friends, but thank you for the thought. I think I should be saying that to you- I heard about what happened between you and Astoria.”

Draco’s mouth twisted into a cynical smile, “I don’t think there was anyone in the country who didn’t hear about it. It was clearly a mistake on my part, she was exactly the kind of person my mother insisted I avoid, but I was too hung up on my pride to bother listening.”

“I don’t think pride had anything to do with it,” Hermione commented as she moved to tidy a nearby shelf. “You know what they say about love, after all, it’s blind.”

Scorpius chose that exact moment in time to declare to his father that his stomach was rumbling quite insistently, and inquired as to when they would be ordering something to eat. At his son’s request, Draco turned again to Hermione, “I guess that’s my cue to exit and bring this little monster to get some lunch…”

Hermione nodded understandingly, “Of course.” She proceeded to bend until she was eye level with Scorpius, “It was lovely to meet you. Will you come and visit me again, Angel?”

Scorpius, elated at being referred to as an angel, nodded vigorously before shyly hiding behind Draco’s pant leg. Now, Draco had never labelled himself an impulsive person, so it was completely out of character for him to abruptly turn just as he and his son reached the door and ask, “Hermione, er, would you like to join us?”

 


	4. Chapter 4

If you had asked Hermione’s friends to describe her with a single word, sensible or logical would definitely have topped the list of adjectives chosen- she even prided herself on those qualities. However, there was nothing sensible about the fact that she was presently sharing Draco Malfoy’s bed. Similarly, there was nothing logical about the fact that Hermione was falling in love with him.

She groaned aloud and pressed her pillow to her face at the thought of her predicament. Hermione had absolutely no idea how she’d managed to land herself in such a difficult position simply by agreeing to accompany him and his son out to lunch, but as she had watched the interaction between them for that hour, she had again been exposed to a side of Draco Malfoy she hadn’t been aware existed. He had listened intently to his son, laughed and agreed when Scorpius required and had joined in an epic battle with the action figurines that had accompanied Scorpius’ meal.

Before Hermione could blink, the lunch date had been followed by a more intimate dinner date, which was followed by yet another. Within the time span of a few weeks, she found herself spending more and more of her free time at Malfoy Manor with Draco and Scorpius. As she stared blankly up at the ceiling, Hermione wondered whether falling in love was meant to happen within a certain amount of time- surely you couldn’t grow to love somebody in such a short period. She dismissed the thought as quickly as it had surfaced, for since the beginning of time, love had dictated its own rules.

She turned on her side, resting her cheek in her palm and surveyed Draco’s sleeping form. The silver slivers of moonlight slid through the sections of glass uncovered by the curtains, caressing and illuminating his pale skin. Hermione observed the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. Her eyes skimmed from the mussed hair covering his forehead to the tops of his legs where the white sheet prevented her from seeing anything more- not that there was anything she hadn’t already studied earlier that evening. Gently, she drew her fingers over his cheek and across his forehead, displacing the hair that had fallen to rest there. As she did so, she leaned until her lips rested on the delicate shell of his earlobe and whispered, “I think I may be falling in love with you.”

Hermione gave a start when she felt Draco’s arm wrap around her waist and pull her directly over him. His grey eyes were open and intently staring into her own as his hands ran up and down her waist before disappearing below the crisp white linen to hold her more firmly against him.

“That’s good,” he replied huskily, “because I’m in love with you, and there’s no maybe about it.” Draco was alarmed when tears abruptly filled her eyes, and swiftly reached to draw his thumb under them to ensure they didn’t fall, “What’s wrong, love?”

“I don’t know what the bloody hell I’m supposed to do about it!” Hermione exclaimed almost angrily, her voice already thick with tears. “I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with anyone, least of all you. And I- God, how am I meant to explain something to you that I can’t even justify to myself?

“I spent most of my years at Hogwarts trying to ignore you and everything you stood for. All the time, I wondered what I’d ever done to you that made you act like such a git whenever you were around me. It was like I felt that I was never good enough, and even when I finally got the nerve to stand up to you, I would see the way you’d look at me- as if I was lower than the lowest creature on Earth.

“And then the War happened, and sometimes I’d wonder what you were doing since you’d boasted of joining your father for so long. When they brought us here, I didn’t think I’d make it out alive, and when you didn’t identify Harry to Bellatrix- and no matter how much I go over that moment in my mind, I can’t for the life of me figure out why you didn’t when it would have saved all of you.

“Then I guess there’s now. You know, I’m sure that most of the population expected I’d follow Harry and Ron to the Ministry and that I’d probably be married to Ron by now. There was a time when I thought I would be doing both those things, but instead I’m here with you. It just doesn’t make sense. When I was younger, I thought I’d get the whole fairytale deal, you know? With the flowers, and serenades under the moonlight and everything in between, it’s foolish, I know- but that’s what I thought love was about. I wanted forever. And when I was younger, you were the last person I thought I’d fall in love with. And then of course there’s Scorpius to think about- I’m not prepared for any of this, Draco,” she concluded in a rush.

Draco’s hands had gradually tightened around Hermione’s waist during the course of her long winded explanation, and she had observed the flurry of emotions that had flashed through his dove grey eyes. However, Draco had become well versed in the act of hiding his emotions, and they were now unreadable.

“I think,” he began slowly, “that you, Miss Granger, are an over thinker. I know I acted like a complete git at Hogwarts, and I could justify my actions a thousand different ways, none of which act as an excuse for the things I said and did. You should know though, that I said most of those things out of envy. You, Potter and Weasley were the Golden Trio, after all- in the eyes of so many, you could do no wrong. How was I meant to compete with that? I’ve spent majority of my life living in my father’s shadow, and I’ll probably continue to pay for what he’s done for as long as I live. And I guess that was the reason I did what I did at the Manor that day, I needed to prove to myself that I wasn’t like my father, that I was still capable of being a decent human being.

“As for right now, I wasn’t prepared for any of this either. I’d promised myself that for Scorpius’ sake more than my own, I wouldn’t make the mistake of falling in love again. When Astoria left, it was like she’d taken a piece of my heart with her and I wasn’t sure when or if I would ever get it back, but I convinced myself I was doing just fine without it- I didn’t have a choice because Scorpius had to be my priority, his happiness had to come before mine.

“I know there are people who won’t be able to see past what I’ve done in the past, and the person I was, but what you said the day you found Scorpius? That an experience like the War will change you forever? It was the same for me, because it was like this burden I’d carried around my entire life had suddenly been lifted from my shoulders because there was no Dark Lord to impress and so my father stopped breathing down my neck. And I swore to myself that I would never be anything like him, like either of them. I wanted to be a good human being, I needed to be because I wasn’t going to put my own son through the same turbulent childhood I experienced.

“I know that you could do so much better than me, Hermione. I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of, many of those including what I’ve done to you. Whether you believe it or not, I’m a different person. And if you’ll let me, I’ll give you everything I can and do my very best by you. I know you’re worried about Scorpius, but you needn’t, because he’s just as smitten with you as his father is. I know that you probably don’t want to be in love with me, but if you give me the chance, I might even be able to convince you that you like being in love with me.”

The silence following the heart felt exchange was almost deafening. Hermione crossed her arms over Draco’s chest and rested her chin atop the backs of her hands and scrutinized his face in silence. His arms came around her once more, and he arched his neck from the pillow to press a quick kiss to her forehead.

“What have we gotten ourselves into?” she sighed.

“I don’t know,” Draco replied, “but I’m willing to risk finding out if you are, too and I’m sure Scorpius won’t take too much convincing.”

“I’m terribly stubborn,” Hermione warned. “I don’t like being wrong. Ginny tells me I suffer from OCD, so I’ll probably rearrange all your things and you’ll hate it. I’ll probably fight you for the remote to the television and I always have to read the Daily Prophet first in the mornings. Speaking of mornings, I’m a dreadful grouch. I’ll probably drive you insane.”

“Well, I carry around more baggage than you could possibly imagine. I have quite a temper when you work me up to it. I’m a workaholic, and there are times when I keep absolutely crazy hours. My father was one of the biggest gits in history, and I’ve proved myself along the same vein, so there’s no telling what kind of genes I’ll pass along to any future children. I think I win, Granger.”

“But I-“

Before Hermione could utter the reset of what she’d wanted to say, Draco crushed his lips to hers to silence her. When they finally surfaced for air, both were breathing heavily and he was smirking at the sight of her lips, which he now deemed suitably swollen from his ministrations.

“I’m in love with you, you daft girl. That’s the long and the short of it- there’s no use in over thinking it until both our brains hurt- and God knows mine will probably suffer to a greater extent than yours. If you want fairytales, I will gladly go to the high street tomorrow morning and buy enough flowers to fill this room. I’m a terrible singer, but if it’s what you require, I will go out onto that balcony right now and sing you one of those corny Muggle love songs-”

“I don’t think anybody who happened to be looking in the direction of the Manor would like to observe you on the balcony in the stare you’re currently in,” Hermione smirked cheekily, one of her hands disappearing momentarily between them. 

Draco groaned, “Would you please let me finish? You said you wanted romance, and for Merlin’s sake, I’m trying to give it to you. If you’ll have me, Hermione, I will gladly give you forever. I swear you will actually like loving me by the end of it.” 

“Either that, or I’ll just be sick of you,” she replied, grinning at his disgruntled expression. “Well, as the Muggles often say, sometimes you’ve got to take the fall to see whether it’s worth risking it all.”

“That’s a terrible expression,” scoffed Draco. “What kind of idiot comes up with a saying like that?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, “You should be glad we’re not having this conversation with Harry, this is the part where he’d make a smart comment about how I’m turning over A New Leaf-“

“I’m declaring that there’s to be no talk of Potter in this bedroom,” he declared. “Quite frankly, he’s the last thing I want to be reminded of when I’m lying in bed with a beautiful, naked woman on top of me.”

“Well he’d be right, though, I’ve decided I’m not going to be as sensible or logical.” The remainder of Hermione’s words were lost as she uttered a gasp of surprise when Draco abruptly flipped their positions so he towered above her. “I’ve also decided I want forever with you, but you’re still going to have to make me like being in love with you.” She sighed in pleasure as his hands travelled deftly down the length of her body followed in rapid succession by his questing mouth.

“In fact, I think I’m starting to like it already.”


End file.
